Biography of Claiborne H. Stewart, 1922, State of Oregon 
Surnames: Stewart, Humphrey, Irvine, Rainey, Ralston

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History of Oregon, Vol. 2; The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company, pub.
1922, page 12-13


JUDGE CLAIBORNE H. STEWART.

Judge Claiborne H. Stewart, who is now serving for the second term as
postmaster of Albany, having been reappointed to that position by President
Wilson In 1919, is discharging the duties of that office in a prompt and
capable manner. He was born in Knoxville, Marion county, Iowa, December 29,
1852, and is a son of Dr. William Q. and Ann R. (Humphrey) Stewart, natives of
Ohio. The family is of Scotch-Irish descent, representatives of the name
emigrating to America and becoming residents of Pennsylvania. As a child the
mother went with her parents to Illinois and then to Iowa at a very early
period in the development of that state. This was prior to the Black Hawk war,
at which time Burlington was but a trading post, the country being sparsely
settled. The father was a merchant and physician and practiced his profession
at Knoxville and Albia until 1865, when he crossed the plains to Oregon,
spending his first winter in this state near Mount Tabor, in the vicinity of
Portland. In 1866 he removed to Albany, Linn county, and purchased property
which is now owned by Claiborne H. Stewart of this review and on which he has
reared his family. Owing to impaired health the father did not engage in the
practice of medicine in Oregon but subsequently became connected with the drug
business, in which he was interested for several years. He continued a
resident of Albany until his demise, which occurred on the 17th of March,
1882, when he was sixtyseven years of age, for he was born on the 5th of May,
1815. The mother, surviving him for many years, passed away in 1917 at the
advanced age of ninety-six years, and both were highly esteemed and respected
in the community where they resided.

Claiborne H. Stewart acquired his early education in the schools of Albia,
Iowa, and completed his studies at Albany, Oregon. On the 5th of June, 1867,
he entered the office of the Democrat as printer's devil and there thoroughly
mastered the printer's trade, at which he worked for several years, and then
purchased that publication, which he conducted until the spring of 1882, when
he disposed of his holdings therein, having a short time before sold an
interest in the paper to United States Senator George Chamberlain. In 1882 he
was called to public office, being elected county clerk of Linn county, In
which position he served for two years. In 1884 he entered mercantile circles,
establishing a hardware business as a partner of E. F. Sox, under the firm
style of the Stewart & Sox Hardware Company. They engaged In the sale of farm
implements and sawmill machinery and through their progressive business
methods and honorable dealing succeeded in building up a business of extensive
proportions, their trade covering all of Benton and Linn counties and a
portion of Lane, Marion and Polk counties. They continued in business for
twenty-four years, during which period they gradually extended the scope of
their trade until theirs became a most substantial and profitable enterprise.
In 1904 Mr. Stewart had been honored with election to the office of county
judge, in which position he proved most capable, rendering decisions which
were strictly fair and impartial. Upon leaving the bench he became associated
with his son-in-law In the conduct of a store dealing in electrical appliances
and was thus engaged until 1915, when he was appointed by President Wilson to
the position of postmaster of Albany. He rendered such satisfactory service in
that connection that he was reappointed In August, 1919, so that he is still
filling that office, discharging his duties in a most capable and efficient
manner. Always courteous and obliging and prompt and faithful in the care of
the mall, Mr. Stewart has proved a most popular official.

On the 4th of January, 1877, Judge Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Cora
J. Irvine, a daughter of the Rev. S. G. and Mary (Rainey) Irvine, the former a
native of Wooster, Ohio, while the latter was born near Belfast, in the north
of Ireland. Her parents emigrated to the United States when she was but two
years of age and settled at Cambridge, Ohio. Rev. Mr. Irvine came to Oregon
from Wooster, Ohio, as a missionary and owing to the wild state of the country
at that time was obliged to travel on horseback from place to place in the
performance of his duties. He was a minister of the United Presbyterian church
and continued to preach the gospel at Albany and Oakville, Oregon, the
remainder of his life, his work proving a potent force for good in the
communities which he served.

To Judge and Mrs. Stewart were born ten children, three of whom died in
infancy. Those who survive are: Stanley I., secretary and manager of the
Lebanon Electric Light & Water Power Company; William Edgar, a practicing
physician of Portland, maintaining offices in the Selling building. He
enlisted for service in the World war, in which he did most Important work for
his country, being engaged in the task of organizing hospitals in France. He
served throughout the period of the war, being discharged as major at the
close of the conflict; Charles H. was assistant deputy governor of the Federal
Reserve Bank of San Francisco until January 1st, 1921, at which time be was
appointed one of the vice presidents of the Northwestern Bank of Portland. He
organized the Salt Lake City branch of the bank, of which he was manager until
January 1, 1920, when he was called to San Francisco to assume the duties of
his present position. He is very prominent in financial circles of the west,
having formerly acted as bank examiner of Oregon; Mary R. is the wife of
Joseph H. Ralston, who is engaged in the electrical business at Albany,
Oregon; Ralph is also a veteran of the World war. He served with the artillery
forces and was so fortunate as to escape injury, although he participated in
many a hard-fought battle. He is now engaged in the work of estimating lands
for taxation purposes in Roosevelt county, Montana; Kate, who is an employe of
the First National Bank of Albany, Is residing at home; Robert L. also
participated as a soldier in the World war, serving throughout the period of
hostilities as a member of an artillery company. He is now connected with the
Mountain States Electric & Power Company.

Judge Stewart gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and he
has taken a prominent part in public affairs, serving for four terms as a
member of the city council, while for about twelve years he was chief of the
fire department, thus rendering valuable service to the city. His religious
faith is indicated by his membership in the United Presbyterian church and for
over twenty years he served as Its secretary, and he has also been secretary
of the Albany Commercial Club. He is a man of strict integrity, ever holding
to high ideals of manhood and citizenship, and no public trust reposed in him
has ever been betrayed. His life has been so varied in Its activities, so
honorable in its purpose and so far-reaching and beneficial in Its effects
that it has become an integral part of the history of his section of the state
and his sterling worth is attested by all with whom he has come into contact.